I've answered the call to get my head shaved to stand in solidarity with kids fighting cancer, but more importantly, to raise money to find cures.

As my ten year anniversary approaches, I have no option but to honor my best friend and best man, Christopher Rose. Close to 8 years ago, he lost his war with cancer that he and family had thought he won. As a child, Chris battled with Hodgkins Lymphoma. After many months of treatment, he was cured, but was un-aware of the lasting effect of a small tear in a coronary artery. At the age of 28, Chris endured a 14 hour heart attack as this tear finally clotted over. After an extended stay in the hospital, Chris was released in good health, but told to monitor himself. Chris continued his life on his own terms enjoying it to the fullest he could. Eventually Chris lost his war with cancer 1 day short of my 2 year anniversary of another heart attack at the young age of 34.

Cancer has taken too many people in my life. Most recently, my uncle Robert Niles. At the same time, we learned that my uncle Bob Thomas was potentially beginning a battle with leukemia. I have lost my paternal grandmother to ovarian cancer and my wife has lost her paternal grandmother to breast cancer and her maternal grandfather to pancreatic cancer. Finally my wife lost her good friend and college roommate, Emily Laurer to ovarian cancer. However the worst news is that recently my father has been diagnosed with a mild case of leukemia.

Please support me with a donation to the St. Baldrick's Foundation. This volunteer-driven charity funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government.

Your gift will give hope to infants, children, teens and young adults fighting childhood cancers. So when I ask for your support, I'm really asking you to support these kids. Thank you!

Click "Make a donation" to give online, or donate by phone or mail.